Toilet seat raising apparatus

ABSTRACT

A toilet seat raising apparatus including a mounting bracket with a cranked arm bearing a counterweight arrangement. The mounting bracket is provided on the underside of the toilet seat just behind the pivotal mounting thereof, with the counterweight arrangement weighing a little less than the part of the toilet seat in front of the pivotal mounting of the apparatus. A flexible band extends from the cranked arm to a hinged pedal, such that placing a foot on the pedal causes the band to engage with the cranked arm and raise the toilet seat.

This invention concerns toilet seat raising apparatus, and also a toilet seat assembly.

A number of persons and particularly the elderly, the infirm and handicapped persons, can find raising a toilet seat from a lowered position difficult, due perhaps to their restricted mobility. Also people may find it unpleasant and/or unhygienic to manually raise a toilet seat.

According to the present invention there is provided a toilet seat raising apparatus to permit raising of a pivotally mounted toilet seat, the apparatus comprising an extension member extending from the toilet seat, a counterweight mounted on the extension member, such that the counterweight is spaced from the pivotal mounting of the toilet seat on an opposite side thereof from a main part of the toilet seat, and a link member extending from the extension member such that pulling on the link member can cause the toilet seat to rise from a lowered position.

The apparatus may be configured such that pulling downwardly on the link member causes the toilet seat to rise from the lowered position.

The link member may extend between the extension member and the ground. The link member may be flexible and may be in the form of a line means, which may be a band.

A pedal may be provided engageable with the line means such that pressing on the pedal causes the toilet seat to rise from a lowered position.

The pedal may be pivotally mounted to the ground at an end of the pedal away from the pivotal mounting of the toilet seat.

The link member may extend beneath the pedal and be engageable against the underside of the pedal.

The extension member when the toilet seat is lowered, may extend outwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

The counterweight may be adjustably mounted on the extension member, such that the position of the counterweight can be varied.

In one embodiment the extension member may be mounted to the underside of a toilet seat.

In a further embodiment the extension member can be integrally mounted to or formed with a toilet seat.

The counterweight may weigh a little less than the weight of the part of the toilet seat on the opposite side of the pivotal mounting thereof to the counterweight.

Adjustable tension means may be provided on the extension member to maintain the link member taught when the toilet seat is raised.

The invention further provides a toilet seat assembly, the assembly including a toilet seat and a toilet seat raising apparatus according to any of the preceding twelve paragraphs.

The toilet seat may include damping means to slow movement thereof when moving to a lowered position.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a toilet with a first toilet seat raising apparatus according to the invention in a first condition;

FIG. 2 is a similar view to FIG. 1 but with the apparatus in a second condition;

FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIGS. 1 and 2 but illustrating both conditions;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side view of the toilet of FIG. 1 illustrating both conditions;

FIG. 5 is a similar view to FIG. 2 but showing a second toilet seat raising apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing part of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a further perspective view showing part of the apparatus of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a further part of apparatus according to the invention.

FIGS. 1 to 4 and 8 of the drawings show a first toilet seat raising apparatus 10 according to the invention fitted on a toilet 12 of conventional construction. The toilet 12 comprises a bowl 14 with a cistern 16 located therebehind. A toilet seat 18 is provided which is pivotally mounted in a conventional manner immediately behind the bowl 14 and in front of the cistern 16, by hinges 20. A toilet seat lid 22 is similarly pivotally mounted and movable with or independently from the toilet seat 18.

A mounting bracket 24 is provided on the underside of the toilet seat 28 adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof. An extension member in the form of a cranked arm 26 extends from the bracket 24. A counterweight arrangement 28 is provided at the far end of the cranked arm 26.

The counterweight arrangement 28 weighs a little less than the part of the toilet seat 18 in front of the pivotal mounting thereof. A rectangular ring 30 extends from the far end of the cranked arm 26. One end 32 of a flexible band 34 is mounted to the ring 30. The opposite end 36 of the band 34 is mounted to the floor to the side of and adjacent the front of the toilet 12.

A pedal 38 is pivotally mounted to the floor by a hinge 40 mounted on top of the band 34 towards the front end thereof. The pedal 38 extends on top of the band 32, and a roller 42 is provided at the upper end of the pedal 38 over which roller 40 the band 34 is freely movable.

FIG. 8 shows the counterweight arrangement 28 in more detail. The arrangement 28 comprises a bar 44 with a larger diameter head 45. When the toilet seat 18 is in a lowered position, the bar 44 is upstanding with the head 45 lowermost. A counterweight 46 in the form of a solid sphere is slideably mounted on the bar 44 by a through hole 48 through which the bar 44 extends. A locking screw 50 with an enlarged manually engageable head 52 extends through the counterweight 46 into the hole 48 to be selectively engageable with the bar 44 to lock the counterweight at a required position thereon.

In use, with the toilet seat 18 lowered (FIG. 1), the band 34 will be taut, with the pedal 38 lying thereon. To raise the toilet seat and if necessary also the lid 22, a foot is placed on the pedal 38 such that the band 34 pulls downwardly on the cranked arm 26 causing pivotal movement of the cranked arm 26 and counterweight arrangement 28, and thus the toilet seat 18 to pivot upwardly. The provision of the counterweight 28 means that only a relatively small downward force is required on the pedal 38 to raise the seat 18.

The counterweight arrangement 28 is configured such that as the seat 18 becomes fully raised (FIG. 2), the counterweight 46 will move in an over centre manner to just in front of the centre of gravity of the toilet seat 18 to retain the toilet seat 18 secure in a raised condition. The counterweight's 46 position on the bar 42 can be adjusted to provide this configuration.

If it is required to lower the toilet seat 18, but potentially not the toilet lid 22, this can be achieved by pushing just the seat 18 slightly forwards until the counterweight 28 has moved rearwardly beyond the centre of gravity of the seat 18. The toilet seat 18 will then drop automatically. The toilet seat 18 is of the slow close type, with damping such that the toilet seat 18 will drop gently onto the toilet bowl 14. If it is required to lower the toilet lid 22, this can simply be pushed forwards and will drop in a similar manner.

FIG. 1 shows the toilet seat 18 in a lowered position, whilst FIG. 2 shows the seat 18 in a raised position. In both instances the lid 22 is in a raised position, but when the toilet seat 18 is lowered the lid 22 may rest thereon to close the toilet 12. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the seat 18 in a lowered position in solid lines, and in a raised position in broken lines. In the apparatus 10 of FIGS. 1 to 4 and 8, the mounting bracket 24 is mounted to the toilet seat 18.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show an alternative plastics material toilet seat 50, with a mounting bracket 52 integrally mounted therein. FIG. 6 is partially cut away to show the location of the bracket 52. The bracket 52 is shown in a right side location, but an alternative left side configuration is shown in broken lines.

The bracket 52 comprises a flat plate 54 with holes 56 extending therethrough to aid mounting in the seat 50. The flat plate 54 locates wholly within the seat 50, whilst a mounting plate 58 with a cranked mounting part 60 extends from the flat plate 54 out of the toilet seat 50. The mounting part 60 mounts a cranked arm 26 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

There are thus described toilet seat apparatus, and also toilet seat assemblies including such apparatus which permit for ready raising of the toilet seat with only a small amount of pressure required on the pedal. This means that a person can readily raise the toilet seat without having to bend down. The toilet seat can also readily be closed with only the use of a very small amount of force.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example different line means or other link arrangements could be used other than the described band. The extension member may take a different form. A different operating arrangement than the described pedal could be used. Means may be provided for correctly tensioning the line means. Additional weights could be added to the counterweight arrangement for instance by using metal washers, for use with particularly heavy toilet seats, such as some wooden seats.

Different arrangements for mounting on a toilet seat could be used, for instance when an integral mounting bracket is used, this could have a different form to that described above. The bracket may have other than a flat plate, and could include a profiled member, particularly to aid bonding within the toilet seat.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon. 

1. A toilet seat raising apparatus to permit raising of a pivotally mounted toilet seat, the apparatus comprising an extension member extending from the toilet seat, a counterweight mounted on the extension member, such that the counterweight is spaced from the pivotal mounting of the toilet seat on an opposite side thereof from a main part of the toilet seat, and a link member extending from the extension member such that pulling on the link member can cause the toilet seat to rise from a lowered position.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the apparatus is configured such that pulling downwardly on the link member causes the toilet seat to rise from the lowered position.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the link member extends between the extension member and the ground.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the link member is flexible
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the link member is in the form of a line means.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which the link member is in the form of a band.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which a pedal is provided engageable with the line means such that pressing on the pedal causes the toilet seat to rise from a lowered position.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, in which the pedal is pivotally mounted to the ground at an end of the pedal away from the pivotal mounting of the toilet seat.
 9. An apparatus according to claim 7, in which the link member extends beneath the pedal and is engageable against the underside of the pedal.
 10. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the extension member extends outwardly and rearwardly from the toilet seat when the toilet seat is lowered.
 11. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the counterweight is adjustably mounted on the extension member, such that the position of the counterweight can be varied.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the extension member is mounted to the underside of a toilet seat.
 13. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the extension member is integrally mounted to or formed with a toilet seat.
 14. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the counterweight weighs a little less than the weight of the part of the toilet seat on the opposite side of the pivotal mounting thereof to the counterweight.
 15. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which adjustable tension means is provided on the extension member to maintain the link member taught when the toilet seat is raised.
 16. A toilet seat assembly, the assembly including a toilet seat and a toilet seat raising apparatus according to claim
 1. 17. An assembly according to claim 16, in which the toilet seat includes damping means to slow movement thereof when moving to a lowered position. 